An unsanctioned, underground forum from a blogger in the Upstate of South Carolina.

Sunday, March 09, 2014

Your Labyrinth Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore

I am filling in for my friend the Undergroundpewster who had a dizzy spell today. Before spinning out, UGP asked my opinion on the following announcement in the parish newsletter,

THE FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT
March 9

"The Labyrinth will be set up in the Parish Hall during both coffee hours. Everyone is invited to walk the Labyrinth and experience a quiet time of prayer and resolve... The Labyrinth is an archetype, a divine imprint, found in all religious traditions in various forms around the world. It has only one path, so there are no tricks to it and no dead ends. The path winds around and doubles back on itself, becoming a mirror for where we are in our lives, a metaphor for our spiritual journey; it touches our sorrows and releases our joys. The pathway in and the pathway out are the same; only the pilgrim has changed in the process."

That has Lent written all over it. I can hardly wait to see what the second week in Lent has in store for the poor pewster.

Feeling inspired, I composed a little song based loosely on something John Prine once wrote. I call it, "Your Labyrinth Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore."

While pickin up the Sunday bulletin
As I walked in the church door,
A little card with a spiral on the front
Fell out on the floor.
Well, I picked it up, and I ran inside
Sat right down on my pew,
And I can't wait to pass the peace
To tell folks what to do.

Chorus:
But your labyrinth won't get you
Into Heaven anymore.
All that spiraling inward
Won't open Heaven's door.
Keep your eyes on Jesus,
And off those patterns on the floor.
No your labyrinth won't get you
Into Heaven anymore.

Well, I went to the church this morning,
And the priestess said to me,
If you pay your Episcopal pledge,
We'll let you run around the labyrinth for free.
Well I didn't mess around one bit,
I took her up on what she said.
And I went into the parish hall
With a blessing on my forehead.

Chorus:
But your labyrinth won't get you
Into Heaven anymore.
All that spiraling inward
Won't open Heaven's door.
Keep your eyes on Jesus,
And off those patterns on the floor.
No your labyrinth won't get you
Into Heaven anymore.

Well, I went round and round that thing
So many times I couldn't see.
I went into a seizure,
That the folks thought was ecstasy.
I lost control and fell down hard
Right onto my head.
By the time they got the priestess down
I was already dead
And I'll never understand
Why the man
Standing at the pearly gates said,

Chorus:
But your labyrinth won't get you
Into Heaven anymore.
All that spiraling inward
Won't open Heaven's door.
Keep your eyes on Jesus,
And off those patterns on the floor.
No your labyrinth won't get you
Into Heaven anymore.

The primary Labyrinth promoter is a San Francisco fruitcake who is quoted as saying "The labyrinth... is a stabilized morphic field... There is something sacred about the eleven-circuit labyrinth that heals and helps people realize their deepest longing and clearest intentions."

Hi, Here is hoping the Underground Pewster will be feeling well soon and vertigo will resolve. I enjoyed the post and poetry by Wallace. A few years ago, my father had gotten ahold of something that said if you use this in praying for your loved ones, their lives will be centered in Christ. I think he eventually concluded that there is no substitute for keeping one's eyes on Jesus, though as an aging parent, I now know and understand his possible concerns for his adult children. The problem with utilizing symbols in faith, is that there may be a fine line at which point those symbols are perceived as the "means of faith". Thank you!

Daily Devotions 1928 BCP

Which Church Father Are You?

I'm St. Jerome!

I'm a passionate Christian, fiercely devoted to Jesus Christ and his Church. I am willing to labor long hours in the Lord’s vineyard, and I have little patience with those who are less willing or able to work as I do. My passions often carry me into temptation zones of wrath, lust, and pride.